“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.”
Haile Selassie

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Why We Republicans Should Not Support Council President Ryan Vaughn's Re-Election

Recently I had an exchange with a fellow Republican regarding Council President Ryan Vaughn's re-election campaign on Facebook. Here's an edited version of what I wrote:The problem in our party (the Republican Party) is that we have have failed to clean out the corruption and profiteering in the party. After Ballard's win in 2007, we had an extraordinary opportunity to rebuild the Marion County GOP. Instead certain Republican insiders like Barnes & Thornburg partners Joe Loftus and Bob Grand decided to use the politically naive mayor to cash in for themselves and their clients. In that regard, installing Ryan Vaughn, as Council President to safeguard the interests of B&T clients made sense. Vaughn was nothing more than a useful tool.

That being said, Vaughn should have known better. Instead he has played right along making threats to my fellow Republican councilors who refused to support his law firm's clients, stripping them of committee assignments, helping Loftus and others cut insider deals. Vaughn played a major role in selling Mayor Ballard and the majority Council Republicans down the river. We have no chance of winning the election in 2011.

The ethically-challenged Vaughn has had major conflicts of interest he has steadfastly ignored. The ACS deal was just the latest, albeit the worst. The man sat in the Council President's chair and pushed the 50 year no bid contract through the council even though it benefited his own law firm's client. The impropriety of Vaughn's actions in supporting ACS is astonishing.

Vaughn has demonstrated beyond doubt that he is no conservative. He's supported every tax and fee increase proposed by Ballard, more than 100 at last count. Vaughn is every bit as the big spending, big taxing liberal Democrats he complains about. No that's not fair - to the Democrats. Vaughn's actually much worse.

Our party needs to clear house after the 2011 election, eliminate people like Vaughn, Loftus and Grandfrom positions of power. (I understand that Vaughn is in a safe seat and while his actions will help skin the Republican majority, he will get re-elected.) We need a party that reaches out to everyday working men and women, not just political insiders who seek out elected officials' help in order to get wealthy off taxpayers. People like Ryan Vaughn have set back the Marion County GOP by at least a generation.

The best thing we can have in the Marion County GOP is people speaking out against people like Vaughn representing OUR party. We Republicans are in the position we are now because people in the party have stayed silent about the corruption and profiteering in the party instead of demanding that it be stopped. I do not intend to be silent.

10 comments:

Paul,Diana is spot on. After reading Dick Cady's book some of the same attorney's involved in my demise are the same cast of characters in the book doing the same things twenty years ago. Now they are polished and boy are they sleazy.....we both know who they are don't we?

I have voted for my city counselor, Ryan Vaughn, in the past. I consider myself a conservative, for lack of a more applicable singular term. For me, that very usually means voting Libertarian or Republican. But, it's going to have to be an opposing candidate of incredibly poor repute for me not to have their sign in my yard and my vote on election day.

If we don't put eliminating corruption before party or ideology, how do justify that and explain it to our kids? We have to have a Republican no matter how corrupt? No matter how rigged city-awarded contracts are? No matter how glaring and obvious the conflicts of interest? Is the city supposed to examine all the options, all vendors, all possibilites, and pick the best thing to do for all the citizens- or force something to happen because it benefits cronies?

Haven't some of us had enough government thrust down our throats already this year?

If you're a voting conservative in this county, what do you stand for?

The person who prompted the exchange gave as his No. 1 reason (and pretty much the only reason) for supporting Vaughn is that he and Vaughn both went to Wabash. What is it with these Wasbash grads? It's like some sort of strange club. Personally I'm glad Vaughn didn't go to my college. Nothing to be proud of there.

Besides, as an all male college there is less time to moon over girls and much more time to concentrate on things like Young Republican activities. One can get a good jump on those attending colleges where there are more varied attractions.

I'm sure there is a veritable Who's Who in Indiana Politics who could claim alumnus status from Wabash. Todd Rokita and Steve Goldsmith are alumni, for example.

I seriously doubt working to defeat Ballard and Vaughn in favor of Melina Kennedy and JoAnne Sanders will make any of you happier on the issues you say are the reasons you are frustrated with local government. Just ask Mike Castle in Delaware about those principled primary voters as O'Donnell is no under criminal ivestigation.

The sad thing is a guy (or gal) with excellent executive experience, and a long standing track record of being decent and honest could run on Libertarian ticket and the sleeping sheeple of this town wouldn't vote for them.

A man or woman of honesty and integrity with a successful track record in business could not run for office on any ticket within the current framework of political corruption in Indiana. The honest people in office are beaten down by threats, veiled or open and the honest people who have tried to make a difference in different parts of the State have been defamed, ruined and shamed with false allegations, attacks from a morally inept Attorney General's office and left for road kill by a Governor who does not know the meaning of for the people and by the people.

Deadline Indianapolis should give you a very clear outline and timeline of the continued pattern in Indiana. Take the names of the power brokers in the book, gray their hair and add twenty years on the clock. The only thing that has changed are the titles on their doors at higher levels of deceit and a few young ones brought in to continue the cycle.

Spots on a leopard don't change colors they just change jungles for new prey!

Dan: While potentially putting Democrats back in power may not make me "happier on the issues", at least I'm not rewarding corruption. Until India happened upon an administration worth keeping because all boats were being lifted with the magnitude of economic advancement, they rotationally voted-out each party in power because of their routine corruption, because of the spoils-of-victory machine run amuck.

What's wrong with us? We have no shame or integrity? Pacers before libraries makes perfect sense? "Spoils-of-victory machine run amuck" doesn't ring a bell for anybody here? Hello?.....

About Me

I have been an attorney since the Fall of 1987. I have worked in every branch of government, including a stint as a Deputy Attorney General, a clerk for a judge on the Indiana Court of Appeals, and I have worked three sessions at the Indiana State Senate.
During my time as a lawyer, I have worked not only in various government positions, but also in private practice as a trial attorney handing an assortment of mostly civil cases.
I have also been politically active and run this blog in an effort to add my voice to those calling for reform.